Alleged NPA officers arrested in Marikina

MANILA, Philippines - A man and wife, accused of being officers of the communist New People’s Army (NPA), were arrested at their house in Marikina City during a police operation Friday.

Juan Paolo Versoza Jr., 28, is allegedly an intelligence officer of the NPA’s Samar provincial party committee while his wife Grace, 25, is reportedly a medical officer and staff member of the Eastern Visayas committee regional production bureau, Eastern Police District director Chief Superintendent Miguel Laurel said.

Versoza reportedly uses the aliases Arvin, Cocoy and Egay while Grace is also known as Joy and Lenon, Laurel said.

The EPD chief said they also confiscated several subversive documents and photos of the couple while they were actively working for the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Versoza was apprehended based on an arrest warrant for robbery with homicide issued by Judge Esteban de la Peña of the Catbalogan City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 28 while Grace was the subject of an arrest warrant for illegal possession of explosives issued by Judge Manuel Torrevillas of the Catbalogan RTC Branch 27.

The couple chose to remain silent on the cases filed against them, EPD intelligence chief Superintendent Remus Medina said.

According to Medina, the couple left Samar in 2010 and transferred to Marikina, where they led a quiet life with Versoza’s siblings in a house on Carnation street in La Colina Subdivision, Barangay Parang. They have a three-month-old infant.

Versoza, a graduate of the University of the Philippines, took odd jobs as a graphic artist while Grace supplemented his income by selling beauty products, he said.

The EPD started tracing the whereabouts of the Versoza couple three months ago based on a statement by a rebel returnee, who worked under them until his recent surrender to the government.

The Versozas were brought to the EPD headquarters in Pasig City, where at least three lawyers and several officials of alleged communist front organizations visited them, Medina said.

According to Medina, the Versozas were subjected to physical and medical examination prior to their transfer today to the courts that issued warrants for their arrests.